Man City boss hoping to stretch Klopp’s bad run in finals to three
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Calling a winner from Liverpool and Manchester City is laced with difficulty as the odds for Sunday’s Capital One Cup final illustrate, so any pointers would surely be welcomed by those intending to place a wager.
Residing nine points above their opponents in the Premier League table, City are the slight favourites to get the job done over 90 minutes at 5/4 and rate as 8/13-pokes to lift the season’s first silverware for a second time in three years.
Meanwhile, the Reds, who have beaten their opponents soundly already this term,are narrow 21/10 and 5/4 underdogs respectively. A repeat of that 4-1 Etihad rout feels a tad unlikely though at 66/1.
Fishing around for factors which could yet influence events away from the recent form book however, punters may be intrigued to learn of the managers’ respective fortunes in finals.
Even excluding silverware which may be given the same name as Disney’s most famous rodent, Manuel Pellegrini has the upper hand when it comes to defining games.
It will be common knowledge to most that the Chilean is one from one at City, picking up the Capital One Cup at Sunderland’s expense in 2014.
Prior to that though, his exploits in South America will be far less known; the only final Pelligrini featured in over spells with three Spanish clubs was an Intertoto Cup success in charge of Villarreal back in 2004.
City’s outgoing boss won two separate cups in his native Chile though, and the South American-wide Copa Mercosur when in charge of Argentine outfit San Lorenzo – so he is 4/4 in major finals.
Jurgen Klopp on the other hand is facing a third successive disappointment and possibly a second in nine months.
Not involved in a final as Mainz manager, Klopp started off in perfect fashion by claiming the DFB-Pokal at the first time of asking en route to the German double with Borussia Dortmund in 2012.
Since then only heartbreak has ensued in finals. Firstly Bayern Munich sought revenge in the 2012/13 Champions League showpiece and then Wolfsburg ruined his Dortmund swansong in the German Cup finale back in May.
It could be a case of third time unlucky for Klopp, but Liverpool fans will be hoping Pellegrini’s flawless record in finals is the one that suffers come Sunday.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
